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Library Card Policies

The East Central Georgia Regional Library participates in PINES, the state wide circulation and cataloging system. The following regulations are in compliance with PINES regulations and requirements.

Library cards are free to all residents of Georgia. Persons who attend school, own property or are employed in Georgia are also eligible for a free PINES card. PINES cards are valid for 2 years.

Property owners who do not reside in Georgia may be required to show proof of ownership, such as a tax bill or deed. Persons employed in Georgia or attending school in Georgia may be required to show proof of employment or enrollment.

Out-of-state cards are available to persons living outside Georgia who do not meet the above criteria for a $25 annual fee, payable at the time the card is issued. A temporary card is available for a $12.50 charge and is good for 6 months.

Signing a PINES card application denotes acceptance of responsibility for lost or damaged materials.

There is no minimum age for a child to receive a PINES card. A parent or legal guardian may register a child. Parent or guardian must show proper ID to register a child. A parent or guardian must sign the application for all children under 18. Signing a child’s PINES card application denotes acceptance of responsibility for all fines, lost or damaged materials charged on that card.

A library card is required in order to check out materials.

Proper identification must be presented to register.

An applicant for a new card is required to provide proper ID, which includes current local address.

Acceptable ID for a PINES card: a) photo ID showing current local address, OR b) photo ID and one item from approved list (see below) showing current, local address (if photo ID does not have correct address), OR c) TWO (2) items from approved list showing current, local address.

Acceptable ID includes a valid driver’s license, a valid voter registration card, checks with pre‐printed addresses, a utility bill, tax receipt or other piece of mail that shows the user’s name and present address. The registering library is responsible for ensuring that a correct address is obtained.

Applicants for a card must complete and sign an application form, available at any PINES participating library’s circulation desk. Parents or guardians of children under the age of 18 must sign their child’s application.

The charge for a replacement PINES card is $2.

The Library is subject to an annual audit of finances and financial responsibility, including adherence to pertinent rules and regulations. Due to high losses of material and the requirement of the Government Accounting Standards Board (GASB), which dictates that governments have a responsibility to be accountable for the use of resources and to demonstrate a reasonable endeavor to recover property paid for with tax payer’s money, the library cannot issue a library card to anyone residing at a property whose residents are transient, e.g., hotels, motels, hospitals, halfway houses and mission homes. Persons at these addresses may receive a card which can only be used for computer access and other services which do not include the circulation of materials. If they wish, they also have the option of a deposit card: a deposit is required to cover the cost of materials checked out and the deposit is refunded with the return of the materials and the closing of the account. Also, if a fiscally responsible officer at a transient property gives written acknowledgement, accepting responsibility for loss or damage to material, a card may be issued to a resident of that property.